The General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced on Tuesday the arrest of individuals who had stolen saint figurines displayed in a Christmas cave in Chadra, Akkar, on the night of Jan. 4, 2025. The "mastermind behind the theft," a Syrian national on the run, born in 2007, was geo-located in his van, "a white Mitsubishi he had used during his crime," explained the police statement.

The suspect confessed, claiming to have committed the theft with accomplices. The burglars mistakenly thought these figurines had monetary value. When they realized they could not sell them, they destroyed the statues and disposed of them.

The ISF continues the investigation to find the rest of the gang. This type of incident is not uncommon in Lebanon. Religious statues are sometimes vandalized at night in various regions of the country, causing outrage among worshippers.